Department of Croatian and Slavic StudiesDivision of Croatian Language and Literature

Place

Zadar

State

Croatia

Scientific field, discipline, subdiscipline

HUMANISTIC SCIENCESPhilologyTheory and History of Literature

Study programme type

university

Study level

graduate

Study programme

Croatian Language and Literature

Academic title abbreviation

mag. philol. croat

Genre

master's thesis

Language

Croatian

Defense date

2016-03-30

Parallel abstract (English)

In this graduate thesis the novel “The tree from Hell’s gate” by Anđelko Vuletić is defined within the framework of Croatian existential prose as a existentialist type of novel that concretely in this novel deals with the subjects of the meaningless of man’s existence, the tragic of man’s loneliness, man’s problem in front of the face of eternity, the problems of personal engagement and responsibility, self alienation and the psychology of complete defeat. The main character and narrator of the novel August Putar is a typical existentialist anti-hero obsessed with feeling guilty and inner emptiness. His existence is meaningless and he is excluded from the world with his absurd existence. He is cold, insensitive and absent in relationships with the rest of the characters in the novel. Apart from determining this novel as existentialist, it’s also allegorical which is evident from the novel’s title written in small letters and does not refer to a “tree” from the birthplace of the main hero August Putar, apropos on the lack of tree in that place, but it’s about something much deeper. The series of stories in the novel, that point to certain folklore elements, are actually in the service of allegory because the entire novel is one allegorical story which can be understood only when it’s completely read. Apart from allegory, the novel also has elements of fiction and magical realism. Sun as the main motive of the novel doesn’t affect August in a healing and calming manner but it’s strength and intensity awakens a demonic nature within him and turns him into a diabolical character who has been possessed by the devil himself. Taking over the myth of Oedipus Anđelko Vuletić discretely and ironically leans on to it and in that way speaks about the turmoil of the main hero. Apart from the sun motive the novel also has the motive of cemetery, earth, snake and water in the service of allegory and fiction. Anđelko Vuletić in this novel created a unique, evil and twisted character who is unlikely compared to other characters in novels within the framework of Croatian existential prose.